In the conference kick-off program with Hank Jackson and Dr. Shirley Davis Sheppard, you will hear a big announcement about the creation and impending launch of the first-ever ANSI-approved standards in the Diversity & Inclusion space. These standards are designed to bring rigor, consistency, and common approaches to how D&I professionals design and implement D&I strategy in their organizations. So, what are these specific standards? How will these standards be used? What tools and resources will be offered to aid organizations in achieving the standards? These questions will be answered and a lot more information will be provided by Effenus Henderson (Chief Diversity Officer at Weyerhaeuser) and Cari Dominguez (Consultant, and former commissioner with the EEOC), co-leaders of the nearly 200-member SHRM D&I Standards Taskforce. They will be joined by the thought leaders who led the individual Standards workgroups to answer your specific questions about the process, how the creation of D&I Standards will change the way that organizations of all sizes, sectors, and industries think about D&I and the ramifications for all who practice in this space.